Tri-unity High School head football coach Tim Heath talks to his 8-may football team during a practice this week. (WKTV)
By Micah Cho, WKTV Intern
ken@wktv.org
When Tri-unity High School head football coach Tim Heath talks about his 8-man football team, now in its third year of existence, and its home opener against Ashley, he sounds like all football coaches talking football.
After all, just because they play on a smaller field without two lineman and one position player, as compared to the more common 11-man football, football is still football.
So Coach Heath, in an interview with WKTV this week, talked about his team’s strengths and his dangerous Week 2 opponent as the Defenders (1-0) prepared for their Thursday, Aug. 30, clash with Ashley (0-1) at a field at 5651 Gezon Court, Wyoming. The game is WKTV’s featured game of the week, and will be rebroadcast on WKTV cable channels.
“I expect a big, fast football game,” Heath said. Ashley has a “very quick quarterback, on film. The quarterback likes to put the ball in the air. They have very quick and tall receivers who like to catch the ball. They’re bigger than we are defensively.”
This is Ashley’s first year as an 8-man football squad. Tri-unity is in its third year but advanced to the state semifinals in 2016, and finished 11-1 overall, before going 6-4 a year ago.
Tri-unity opened the season with an impressive road win, 82-0, at St Joseph Lutheran, while Ashley lost to AuGres-Sims, 56-12, on the road last week.
Coach Heath’s team has 13 players this year, so many play both ways. But he thinks more about his teams strengths than their numbers.
“We’re very good defensively and we’re fast,” he said. “We’re fast to the ball. A lot of team speed. And something you just can’t trade, experience. We returned seven of eight starters this year from a team that lost in the first round of the playoffs last year.”
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Going into the weekend, four Wyoming-Kentwood area basketball teams still envisioned playing in the MHSAA State Championship game at the Breslin Center. After the dust settled, two teams faltered while the other two were able to keep the dream alive.
The Godwin Heights boys basketball team took on Wayland Union in the District final on Friday night and came out victorious, 63-56, thanks to some poor free throw shooting (46 percent) by the Wildcats. The District Championship was a first for new head coach Tyler Whittemore.
After winning Districts, the Wolverines faced off against Alma on Monday night in the Regional Semi-Final. Their patented suffocating ball pressure did its job and allowed the Wolverines to jump out to a 47-16 halftime lead! Godwin ended up coasting to a 76-39 victory. The team plays Charlotte on Wednesday for the Regional Championship.
The Tri-Unity Christian boys team dominated Zion Christian on Friday night to get back on track with a District Championship. Last season, for the first time since 1999, the Defenders didn’t get out of Districts! That changed with a 57-28 win over Byron Center Zion Christian.
Then, in the Regional Semi-Final, Chris Osantowski led Tri-Unity Christian to a victory with an impressive stat-line of 18 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and three steals! That great individual effort was more than enough to hound Kalamazoo Heritage Christian and give the Defenders a 72-44 victory. Mendon awaits in the Regional Championship
Godwin Heights wants a high-five, they’re playing for a Regional Championship!
In the girls Regional Championship on Thursday night, the Defenders of Tri-Unity Christian squared off against St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran. The Titans jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and didn’t look back. Ball pressure and early three-point shooting become too much for Tri-Unity to handle as they fell 62-43. The Defenders finish their 2015 campaign with a District Championship and an 18-7 record.
East Kentwood played with fire all season, winning nine games by six points or less, but still stood undefeated entering the District Championship on Friday night against Ottawa Hills. This game was no different as Ottawa Hills held a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Falcons ended up storming back held a one-point lead with less than a minute to play.
Unfortunately, when you play with fire it’s eventually going to burn you, and East Kentwood finally felt the burn. Lance Windom hit a jump-shot with 12 seconds left to give the Bengals a 59-56 victory and a District Championship over the Falcons! It was a great season for East Kentwood as they finished with a 21-1 record.
This piece was edited on 3/19 to include the Tri-Unity Christian Boys Basketball team!
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Teams and Playoff Results
East Kentwood Boys
District Semi-Final – W Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (52-47)
District Final – L Ottawa Hills (56-59)
East Kentwood Girls
District First Round – L Byron Center (36-41)
Godwin Heights Boys
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (86-47)
District Final – W Wayland Union (63-56)
Regional Semi-Final – W Alma (76-39)
Regional Final – 3/18 Charlotte
Godwin Heights Girls
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (50-39)
District Final – L Wayland Union (32-75)
Grand River Prep Boys
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (34-80)
Grand River Prep Girls
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (46-76)
Kelloggsville Boys
District First Round – W Aviation Academy (85-34)
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (86-47)
Kelloggsville Girls
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (39-50)
Potter’s House Boys
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (44-55)
Potter’s House Girls
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (50-42)
District Semi-Finals – L Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian (45-64)
South Christian Boys
District First Round – L Wayland Union (62-72)
South Christian Girls
District First Round – L Wayland Union (39-59)
Tri-Unity Boys
District Semi-Final – W Holland Calvary
District Final – W Zion Christian (57-28)
Regional Semi-Final – W Kalamazoo Heritage Christian (72-44)
Tri-Unity Girls
District First Round – W West Michigan Lutheran (64-37)
District Semi-Final – W Zion Christian (51-43)
District Final – W Potter’s House Christian (64-45)
Regional Semi-Final – W Martin (48-38)
Regional Final – L St Joseph Michigan Lutheran (43-62)
West Michigan Aviation Academy Boys
District First Round – L Kelloggsville (34-85)
West Michigan Lutheran Boys
District Semi-Final – L Byron Center Zion Christian (27-55)
West Michigan Lutheran Girls
District First Round – L Tri-Unity Christian (37-64)
Wyoming Boys
District First Round – W Zeeland East (71-59)
District Semi-Final – L Hudsonville (64-77)
Wyoming Girls
District First Round – W Zeeland East (66-40)
District Semi-Final – W West Ottawa (57-53)
District Final – L Hudsonville (49-64)
Wyoming Lee Boys
District First Round – L Comstock Park (29-56)
Wyoming Lee Girls
District Semi-Final – L Catholic Central (6-76)
